BMTC now accepts NCMC payments through new smart ticketing machines; adoption expected to rise
Finally, Bengaluru commuters, after years of delay, can now use the Common Mobility Card (NCMC) for travel on Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) buses, following
Finally, Bengaluru commuters, after years of delay, can now use the Common Mobility Card (NCMC) for travel on Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) buses, following the rollout of 11,000 new smart Electronic Ticketing Machines (ETMs) across the corporation’s fleet. Although the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has been accepting NCMC payments on Namma Metro since March 25, 2023, the BMTC had been unable to offer the same facility because its earlier generation ETMs did not support the contactless payment technology required for the cards. Until now, passengers travelling on the BMTC buses primarily relied on cash or UPI payments. Conductors generated dynamic QR codes through the ETMs for digital transactions, replacing the static QR codes that were previously displayed inside buses.
With the new devices, commuters can simply tap their NCMC on the ETMs to pay their fares instantly. “The new ETMs have been designed to support NCMC transactions, giving passengers another convenient payment option. Tap-and-pay is significantly faster than scanning QR codes and will help reduce time while making ticketing more efficient,” a senior BMTC official said. Apart from bus and metro travel, the NCMC can also be used for retail purchases, parking charges and toll payments, making it a multi-purpose payment instrument. Officials said that the card is intended to provide a unified and inter-operable payment system across different modes of transport and other services. According to the BMTC officials, the introduction of the NCMC acceptance is expected to substantially increase the card’s usage in Bengaluru.
While the metro network has supported the card for more than three years, adoption remained modest because it was not accepted on the BMTC buses. Now, there are around 65,000 active NCMC in the city. With the integration now in place, the NCMC issued by banks across India can be used on the city’s bus services, allowing thousands of daily commuters to use a single card for both metro and bus journeys. “The BMTC carries around 45 lakh passengers every day, while Namma Metro records nearly 10 lakh daily riders. Bringing both systems onto a common payment platform will encourage more people to use the NCMC,” the official added. Commuters have welcomed the move.
Pavan K., an NCMC holder and daily commuter from Kengeri, said the integration had been long overdue. “We have been requesting this for a long time. I already use my NCMC for metro travel, but I had to switch to cash or UPI while travelling by the BMTC buses. With tap-to-pay now available on the new ETMs, I can use the same card for both modes of transport. It will make commuting much quicker and seamless,” he said.
The BriefWire